Book Review: I Remember You by Yrsa Sigurdardottir

Me to this book: I will NOT remember you. In fact, I’ve already forgotten quite a lot since I finished this one. Memo to self: please do better at writing reviews soon after finishing a book.

“They screamed as loudly as each other when a small hand reached around the corner. Four pale, yellowish fingers appeared, gripping the wood, then disappeared just as quickly.”

It’s not a BAD book, don’t get me wrong. It’s actually quite frustrating because the potential is there, but it’s never fully realised. A brief synopsis: three friends go out to an abandoned house in an isolated village in the Icelandic Westfjords to start some renovations. But they might not be alone in this village after all... *eerie music plays*

There are two main storylines in I Remember You, one of which focuses on the friends in the village, the other follows a man back on the mainland who lost his son a few years before. The chapters alternate back and forth, which can only really be successful if both narratives are equally compulsive. Unfortunately I found myself more invested in the renovation storyline, so it was often with a *sigh* that I would read the mainland chapters.

I Remember You was sold to me as a scary book, and at times it did border upon being a little creepy. I buddy read this with Gemma @cemetery.of.forgotten.books and we both agreed that the scares might have worked better if we were reading it on a cold winter’s night, as opposed to reading it with the sun streaming in through the windows.

Also, every now and again I’d feel a tad thrown off by the descriptions of female physical traits - comments on their figures etc. I just found this a little strange in a book by a female author.

It’s not the best book and it’s not the worst, but if you’re looking for a thriller with creepy elements it might be worth checking out! 3 stars.

Johann

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